Operation: Factory Raid
by Chris000
Summary: A squad of ODSTs infiltrates one of Eggman's factories to shut it down. The 1st in a series of short stories depicting the average UNSC soldiers in their campaign against Eggman and anyone else dumb enough to get in the way.
1. Chapter 1: Briefing

Operation: FACTORY RAID

Operation: FACTORY RAID

By Chris000

November 22nd 3238

UNSC _Midsummer Night _(FFG-727)

En route to Cygnus Epsilon 56 system

Master Sergeant Jonathon Callard entered the barracks onboard the _Night_. Inside sat his squad of loyal ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers). Each one was of different nationality and indeed; one was of an entirely different species. Callard stood akimbo and barked, "Helljumpers, Ten _HUT!_" The Special Forces Marines hopped to their feet and abandoned what they were doing. They each snapped to attention. When Callard saw that his men had preformed sufficient salutes, he brought his own hand up to his green beret. Not a single black lock of hair poked through the front.

"Now sound off maggots!" He barked with a profound Australian accent. From left to right, the three other troopers addressed themselves: "Joe Martinez, Corporal!" The first answered with a strong voice. Martinez was an example of a prime Helljumper. He was from Mexico City back on Earth. He was very skilled with explosives and was also an accomplished combat medic. Callard looked past this irony when Martinez had entered his squad.

"Thomas Lucas, Private First Class, sir!" Lucas was a Mobian. He was the _only _Mobian in Callard's squad. As a squirrel, Lucas had trounced everyone at basic back on Parris Island. Callard just had to have him. Since he was the only anthro in the squad, little Tommy Lucas was quite often picked on by his peers. Being in the ODSTs just made the matter worse. The reason? Helljumpers were brutal. Some of these men and women had criminal records on them and were doing hard time in the Corps. Lucas was the exact polar opposite of everyone. He was kind, didn't lash back at his officers and truth be told, he was kind of a charmer. And damn, were his salutes good. He added a little flourish to them and they were unique each time.

"At ease, son." Callard said with a small nod. He turned his head to the last Helljumper. "Wilhelmina Maybell, Staff Sergeant!" Wilhelmina or 'Billy' as she liked to be called was the model soldier for the women in the Corps. Her record was spotless, she served in a few campaigns and she earned her fair share of medals and ribbons. Her arm was as stiff as a statue when she did her salute.

"What the fuck is this? Is this all that's left of my beautiful squad? I turn my back for a few moments and three more men are gone?" Billy spoke, "Well, Jon. We lost Raymond, Phidelpha, and Lawrence back at the Pegassi colony about a week ago. You did read the report I wrote?" Callard nodded. He remembered now. The fat slab of a doctor Eggman was making his mark on the human universe once again. He was rallying support too. A few sects of the ancient Covenant Hegemony was still out for human blood and with Robotnik at their side, they were doing a hell of a job. Pegassi was barely won back with two regiments of UNSC marines. Nearly a quarter of them died to retake the colony. With them went three members of Callard's squad. He looked aside that for now and got straight to business.

"Now, my humble men, I have with me orders that just came in from command! They highlight out next mission which will take place on the planet we are orbiting at this moment!" A hologram snapped on. "This is Vert. Population two hundred and seventy five thousand. It is named so by French colonists because of its tropical forests.

"Now, ONI has recently discovered the location of a factory. There are no civilian companies that own this building so we have to assume that it belongs to Eggman. Our objective: blow the place to hell." Lucas raised a hand. "Yes, Private?" "Sir, were we the first choice for this mission?" Callard looked slightly amused.

"Not by a long shot, Lucas. About five days ago, the governor sent a small force of colonial militia to assault the building. They didn't get closer than 500 yards of the place. Completely wiped out." Billy's lip twitched a little. Callard went on, "Two days later, a battalion of UNSC Marines arrive in system. They do considerably better: the force got within 20 yards of the wall before calling a retreat. 600 men go in, 220 come out. Casualty percentage: 64 per cent eliminated." Lucas' ears twitched and he mouthed 'ouch'. "So what the fuck are we going in there for, Sarge?" Martinez asked quickly. "Command got something against us?"

Callard laughed a little. "Fuck Command. This is a black op." Lucas smiled. "That's my favorite color, Sarge." "Nobody knows about what's going down, clear?" Nods. "Good. Now, I know what the casualty reports said. I know a lot of families will miss those men. But seeing how you guys did at Pegassi, I'm confident we can blow this place to smaller pieces than we can count." Maybell said, "Jon, we lost three men at P-" he held up a hand. "I know! They were good kids but Henry, Josh, and Marco WEREN'T thinking clearly. Their heads were filled with so much shit it clouded their judgment. They shouldn't have gone up against those berserkers. We already saved those people. We're gonna make up for that today."

He tapped a few buttons on the hologram projector. "OK, Command has located a blind spot in the factory's defenses. About halfway around the facility, there's a dock that goes out into the water. I don't want to risk a splashdown landing so we're going down just a klick from the thing. We slip into the water, swim the rest of the way and we're in."

"Sounds too simple." Billy responded. Callard looked up. "It's as simple as it sounds. No shitting. Our primary objective is a fuel distribution center located in the bowels of this God-forsaken place. We don't know what the thing actually looks like so we're gonna have to play some I-Spy here. Eggman is not our target, but if he somehow gets into your sights, take him out. I want to see if he pops or explodes. Evac will be by Pelican. In and out. Drop's in 30. Gear up, Helljumpers. Dismissed." The solders crowed, "YES, SIR" and saluted.


	2. Chapter 2: Drop

November 22nd 3238

UNSC _Midsummer Night _HEV Drop Bay

Orbiting over planet Vert

Almost every single UNSC starship had drop bays for ODSTs. These bays held numerous Human Entry Vehicles, or HEVs that transported Helljumpers to the surface of a hostile planet. The titanium eggs that lined the bay walls offered next to no protection from the reentry heat and enemy projectiles. The only thing that kept the ODSTs safe from the hard vacuum of space was their body suits. Normally, there were around 7 pods on the ship, but with the loss of three squadmates at Pegassi, there were only four now lining the wall.

Callard led his men into the room. They each picked up a mirrored helmet and slipped it on their heads. A slight _hiss _and _pop_ told them that they were airtight and had 30 minutes of recycled air if needed. Each pod had the name of the Helljumper printed on it so they would know where to go. A technician saluted as the Sergeant approached and led him to his pod. The other techs led the lower rank troopers into their HEVs. As soon as Callard gave the thumbs up, the techs sealed him in and a red light illuminated the inside.

"Sarge, how do we know Eggman doesn't already know we're here?" Lucas said. His face appeared on Callard's pod screen. All he could see was Lucas' mirrored helmet. The only thing that set him apart from the others in the squad was a white spray painted paw on the front of his helmet; his own personal Mobian recognition system other than the flag that was on his left shoulder-pad.

Callard exhaled. It was like dealing with children. "We checked the freaking spectrum four times before drop. There are no known frequencies hitting our hull." Maybell cut in; there were painted hawk eyes on the side of her helmet. "Sir, you said 'known frequencies'. Remember. Some Mobians have entirely different methods of radar detection. Remember back in Downunda three years back?" "Billy," Callard started. "There's nothing watching us. Shut up, Wilhelmina, and check your systems." "You tell her, Sarge!" Martinez crowed.

20 seconds until drop. Callard couldn't shake the unnatural feeling from his stomach. It was sort of like the feeling he had when he took his first pod ride. It was fear. He knew he shouldn't be fearful. But he was. Something about fighting Eggman made him scared. He was scared when he was on Mobius in 3235, He was scared during the Battle of Earth a year later. And he was scared now. If Robotnik caught them, he would have them killed on the spot, or worse…

Callard had heard whispers about people who were taken prisoner by Robotnik. How he could just _touch_ them and they would have their free will taken away, like drones; an empty shell to do his bidding. He had seen Robotropolis, how the citizens there fought without question for their new master. Some innocents fought back, but they only increased their numbers. He chimed on the COM.

"Hey, not like it matters or anything, but if anything happens here, it's been a pleasure serving with you boys." The other three squadmates recoiled in their pods. Matrinez did a double take. Through a private conference channel, Maybell asked, "Did he just _say_ that?" Lucas piped up, "Yeah, I thought Sarge was a badass." Martinez offered his opinion, "Maybe he thinks something's coming." "The Sarge?" Lucas scoffed. His ears twitched when he laughed. "Bullshit!" The drop officer sounded, "5 SECONDS! PREPARE FOR DROP!" "Here's hoping he was joking around." Billy said leaning back straight.

The locks disengaged with a sharp _clack._ The pods slid right down the shaft that led to open space. Once through this portal, the tube sealed so that no pressure was lost. The pods continued their drop down to Vert.

Callard looked over the outer layout of the structure on his screen. There were no internal schematics and the doctor threw up powerful firewalls to hard for UNSC AIs to break through. "OK, team." He said. "You have the correct weapon load-outs for this mission? Remember, close quarter stuff." "Don't you worry." Martinez sounded. "Me and my M90-K will wipe the floor in that place." "Provided," Lucas chimed in, "that we manage to get in alive." Martinez got angry. "You are SUCH a pessimist you furry son of a bitch. What the fuck are you even doing in the Helljumpers? We don't even need whiny bitches like you!"

"Martinez, YOU shut up. Lucas, quit worrying. I'll make sure we get into that place or die trying." Callard barked into the radio. "Wilhelmina, make sure those two don't kill each other." Maybell laughed. "I'll try my best, Sarge."

Flames lapped at the titanium armor of the HEV's skin. Lower they descended into Vert's atmosphere. Still, they met no anti-aircraft fire. Callard's computer stated that they were still on course and were due to hit in three minutes. Now there was no more time for playing.

The drag chute deployed already and snapped away as the HEV's speed reached high enough numbers to easily kill the ODSTs inside on impact. From then on, retro thrusters would take on the job of keeping the pod's descent speed at a manageable level.

The pods impacted with a deep crunch in the rich soil of Vert's southern continent. A small crater was formed when each pod impacted the ground even with the aid of the retro boosters. The Marines inside kicked the doors of their pods and they flew away with ease. The first thing each Helljumper did was remove their helmet and each took a breath of non-recycled air.

Vert's atmosphere was tropical so it was very stuffy, sticky, and humid. Actually, the atmosphere had a 0.000001 per cent saturation level. Not even nearly enough to kill a human though. "Man, it never gets old." Lucas said with appreciation, "You know, breathing fresh air. None of that scrubbed shit we inhale on the ships. It reminds me of back home." Martinez groaned and put on a pair of aviator glasses. "Oh Christ, here he goes again." Lucas was very sentimental of his former life on Mobius, a planet which was the future incarnation of Earth in an alternate universe.

"Enough of that, Lucas." Callard barked. But secretly, he enjoyed the fresh air. Jonathon grew up in Sydney. Lots of skyscrapers, shuttle docking structures, space elevators. Typical metropolitan center of the 33rd century. Whenever he got the chance, Jon's parents took him on outings far away from Sydney's city center. Sometimes as far away as Melbourne where it was as simple as 27th century Toronto. That was the air he longed for, Grade-A Aussie air. But this was good enough for him.

"How far are we away from the target, Billy?" Maybell took out a portable scanner. It hooked up with a GPS aboard the _Night_. "Hmm…Slightly off: 1.273 kilometers from the entrance. Still, the river should be close by." Callard nodded. "Lucas, Martinez. Secure our weapons from the pods. I want a complete inventory in five minutes. Today, soldiers, TODAY!" The two marines scampered away and Callard thought about their plan one more time.

The river actually flowed from the ocean. Some cargo vessels that belonged to Eggman docked here under the guise of Vertian cargo freighters. He trafficked weapons, vehicles, and even robotic soldiers themselves under the civilians' noses. Disgusting, the lot of them.

Callard and his boys got lucky today. There was already a vessel coming in from the capitol. It was loaded with iron ore, aluminum, titanium, and even some liquidized Mercury; all components to be used to build his army. That's how the squad would get in.

They wouldn't hide in the ship, oh no. They (the robots) had scanners that checked the ship thoroughly. They would be using a different method.

The suits the Helljumpers were wearing could be sealed for thirty minutes. This could be used for vacuum operations and even underwater assignments. This was exactly what was happening here. Callard ordered his men to activate the magnetic soles in their boots. This would allow them to stick to the freighter's hull and pass though undetected. It was so simple it was brilliant and was sure to be overlooked for security.

"Everyone ready?" Jon asked. "Sure thing boss. I forgot my swimming cap though." Martinez joked. "Yeah, good thing I'm wearing this suit. It would take hours to dry my fur out." Lucas said more seriously. Callard placed his helmet back on. It hissed to confirm the seal and his HUD activated. Martinez put his helmet on but left the aviator glassed on. It was his trademark. Finally, each trooper placed a rubber stopper on the barrels of the weapons. This prevented water from entering the guns and fucking up the mechanisms thus, keeping them ready to fire.

"Sergeant Maybell, I want you to keep continuous tabs on how much oxygen's in our tanks. I don't want to lose anyone down there. "Gotcha, Sarge." Wilhelmina replied. "OK, Helljumpers: dive!" And one by one, each black clad soldier slipped into the water, and towards their objective.


	3. Chapter 3: Stealthy Advance

Chapter 3: Stealthy Advance

November 22nd 3238

Planet Vert, _Lamonde_ Continent

Near _La Côte Vert_

The water was cold. Not unpleasant, but cold. It was also some of the filthiest water Callard had ever seen courtesy of Eggman's toxic waste dumps in the area. The water would be purified by the offshore detoxifying centers, but still, it was dirty as hell.

The first thing the squad saw was the keel of the massive freighter. "OK, guys. Let's catch us a boat ride." He said. "OOH RAH!" Martinez crowed. The Helljumpers kicked and made their way through the water, pushing aside a few strays of driftwood and dead fish carcasses. A few empty cans of beer and cola also littered the water. Lucas scowled in disgust. On Mobius, littering was one of the most horrible things one could do to the environment. Even dangerous criminals had all the decency of tossing their waste in the recycling bin. "I swear when I get ahold of that fat fucker…" "Calm down, Lucas. We all want a piece of him. OK, Marines grab hold!"

The freighter was very close. Each Helljumper adjusted their position and gripped on to the hull. Their boots hit the hull with a slight _clong_. The sound was small enough to be looked over. They walked a little along the hull until they were right next to the keel. They just stood there and let the boat take them along.

"02 check, Billy" Jonathon ordered. Maybell looked. "22 minutes, Sarge. We should be entering the base shortly. We're going at a speed of 30 knots." Callard nodded. His helmet bobbed underwater. The water suddenly turned even darker. "Sarge," Martinez whispered. "I think we're in the factory now." Then, the freighter stopped. Red light flooded the area. Lucas raised his weapon and held it tightly. The magnetic gloves kept the gun in his palms but he was scared. "Sarge…" "Shut up, and relax. They're probably just checking the boat to see if it's one of theirs.

The lights vanished and the motor started again. "OK, we're clear. Remember, check for hostiles before exiting the water. Keep your guard up and you'll be fine." Lucas glanced toward the edge of the boat. "Are you SURE they didn't see us?" "I'm sure. Now shut up or I'll make sure they see YOU first." "Remember what Sergeant Maybell said about alternate frequencies?" "Shut up, Lucas. You're making me nervous now." Billy said. "I just can't shake the feeling that he's watching us."

Lucas was right. Unbeknownst to any of the squad, Eggman WAS using different frequencies to track them down. Only this particular brand was one of his own, unable to be detected by Human or Mobian scanners. The wavelengths were less than a nanometer across and emanated from underwater scanners. The "So Simple It's Brilliant" plan was covered. An evil genius would consider all points of insertion, even underneath a ship. He had everything, even barnacles and lichen catalogued and cross-referenced with enemy forces.

Dr. Eggman sat in his revolving chair staring at the screen. The scanners underwater had painted a digital picture of the ODSTs. He tugged his moustache playfully. "Oho! Helljumpers! Now the UNSC is getting creative." He leaned foreward and the chair creaked with stress. "Tsk, tsk. What a small attack force. I was expecting at _least_ an army this time around. Well, you have to admire persistence." He turned to a robotic guard:

"Unit 41." He addressed. The guard raised a metallic hand towards its head. "Yes, Doctor?" it chirped. "Order all attack robots to disengage from the loading dock and wait for further orders." The robot's head creaked to the side, imitating human puzzlement. "Sir?" it said. Eggman's glasses flashed in the sunlight. "I gave you an order, robot! I expect you to follow it!"

The guard shuddered and activated its COM pack. "This is an APB, Calling all units, calling all units! Orders are to disengage from the loading docks and wait for further commands. DO NOT attack ODSTs on sight. Repeat, the ODSTs are not to be harmed. U-41 out!" The robot saluted again. Eggman rubbed his hands together in anticipation and a wide smile broke his face. He gave a small lingering laugh and turned to the display.

"It's a fucking ghost town here Sarge." Martinez noted shaking himself off. The Marines had climbed out of the water to discover that the loading dock was empty. "Where are they?" Lucas said heaving his assault rifle to shoulder height. "Over There!" he yipped pointing the MA5' at a stack of crates. The young Mobian was about to pull the trigger when Callard barked, "STAND DOWN! Look!" A small robot barely the size of a bike skittered out from the crates and went to pick up cargo from the ship. "See, just a mover. Shipping, handling that sort of shit." Martinez scolded. Callard had his turn.

"You have a lot of balls to pull that shit, Lucas. You nearly gave away our position over something that you can buy at the hardware store!" "I'm sorry!" Lucas said somberly. "Let's keep moving." Callard said paying no attention to the ODST who endangered the mission. Lucas was almost forgotten. He followed the squad after taking one more look at the mover suspiciously.

"Shit, it's ALL empty." Martinez said quietly as they moved further into the compound. "Billy, you're picking up no signatures?" "Not a thing, Jon." Maybell said checking the scanner. Maybe if I had that 'NICOLE' unit I could do some good here." "Well, you know what the Corps is like, barely enough funding to keep us standing. They blow it all on propaganda. _Save the world, earn honor and glory, amazing locales_…" Martinez snickered. "When I was in college, it was a commercial with a bunch of busty babes that got me signed on." Callard looked over his shoulder with a funny look. "You're thick, Joe, real thick." "Maybe so, but hey, it worked!"

Five minutes later, Callard's team emerged into an open courtyard. A small helipad was in the center with hawk-like VTOL in the center. Its side mounted turrets were empty also. What was more; there were no mover drones or peppy maintenance bots. Callard took no chances.

Billy, Check the Egg Hawk. Martinez, stick with her. If there's a bomb in that armor plating, I want you to diffuse it. Joe saluted and followed Maybell to the Egg Hawk's forward Gatling gun. The belts of ammunition swayed in the light wind that entered the courtyard. A small creak was heard and Martinez raised his gun, but it turned out to just be the metal "breathing" in the heat. "See anything?" Callard called from the sidelines. "Nothing, Sarge! This bird is clean."

This was just plain disturbing to the Sergeant Major. First off, no enemies detected in the landing bay for the boat, not a single flicker of life, and suddenly a deserted Egg Hawk? Something wasn't right. Lucas' senses were tingling. You didn't just have these emotions. True, they were common for Mobians like him, but this was important. Someone was watching them. Then he saw it: A slight flash of light in a guardhouse tower. "GET DOWN!" He screamed to his squad. Maybell ducked in time but Martinez caught a bullet in his shoulder pad.

Joe got lucky. The bullet's path was right into the back of Martinez's neck. When he was told to duck, he raised his arm slightly to lower his head. The projectile nicked the padding and it flung off from the force of the blow.

"Sniper!" Callard called to his squad. "In the guard tower, sir!" Lucas proclaimed pointing to the raised metal structure." The sergeant major launched a 40mm grenade into the tower and blew it up debris flew in all directions as the tower fell with a resounding _thud_. Maybell looked around. "JON! My motion sensors are going crazy! I'm counting 20 blips approaching our position fast!" Callard cursed. "FUCK! They were waiting for us! How?!"

Lucas swept his head around. "We're boxed in! There's no way out!" Robots filed out of higher leveled doors. They took up firing positions and activated laser sights. The ODSTs saw their armor sport little red dots that went around them. "They're not firing!" Lucas whispered. "They're waiting for us to make a move." Callard whispered back. Then a voice crackled from the speaker systems:

"Oho! So this is the best the UNSC has to offer this time? One measly fireteam of helljumpers? Pathetic. You really are, you know. Don't bother responding so hear this: I knew you were inside my fortress the second you entered under that ship. Very ingenious. But I have to say, it wasn't enough. I can only imagine what your mission today is but one thing is for certain, you won't catch me."

That's when a rumble filled the air. Just over the mountains, a gigantic cruiser took flight. It was in the shape of a giant swordfish. Twin escort frigates followed the cruiser into the air. "This base of operations has become a giant liability for my presence. I'll have to relocate somewhere else. Good luck trying to catch me again! Ohohohoho!" The cruiser's engines flared and the strships rocketed into the sky. "Christ!" Joe muttered. "Done in again by that fat prick!" "Shut up, let me think." The sergeant growled.

Eggman's pawns were cheap tin cans. All of his fancy gadgetry went into the bigger models or his 'Mechs. Thus being said, maybe they could trick the Eggbots. "Martinez, I need you to prime two smoke grenades on your belt. No sudden movements. My back should be blocking your right arm." Martinez nodded. The smoke would blind the optical sensors of the robots. Callard looked to Lucas. "OK, furry. Activate two flares; same procedure. On my mark: three, two, one, MARK!"

Lucas and Martinez pulled the rings on their grenades. A small _pop_ came from the smokes and a flash erupted from the flares. Immediately, a cloud of smoke enveloped the ODSTs and the cloud turned bright red. The plan worked. The smoke blinded the robots and the heat from the flares rendered their thermal imagers useless.

Two Eggbot commanders witnessed the event. E-172, the superior conversed with E-442. "What are they doing?" 172 said with curiosity, but still keeping his weapon on the four marines. "If it's a ruse, it won't work with us." 442 responded calmly. The two drones zoomed in on the cloud. Suddenly an Exception message scrolled across their HUDs:

"Wait, something's wrong." 442 said slowly. "Yeah, I see it too. Thermals are whacked up." 172 responded to his subordinate. "I can't see them!" He added angrily. The dark cloud hat showed four white men was now a shining white storm. Many robots lowered their weapons in surprise. Suddenly, the HUDs began to static up. "DAMN! Must be some chaff in there. Fall-" A hail of bullets peppered 172's faceplate. He gave a metallic groan and fell off the upper level.

"Open fire, Marines!" Callard roared. Safe within their cloud, the ODSTs began their dirty work. It began with Lucas. He sighted his weapon and sent a three-round burst into two robotic soldiers. They died instantly and a third got wounded by microshrapnel. Maybell and Martinez assisted each other in clearing section by section of Eggbots while Callard had a party with his BR55-A5 Battle Rifle. An underslung grenade shot decimated an entire platoon of the blinded troopers. Suddenly, alarms sounded and a doorway straight ahead of them opened. Callard, only wanting to get out alive, took this new road, not considering the risks.

"Through that door! Move it, Marines! MOVE IT!" Instantly, the Spec Ops soldiers ran. The tiny bits of chaff wore off and the surviving robots came to their senses. They fired multiple shots at the UNSC soldiers. A couple rounds splashed in front of Lucas. The timid Mobian lost his footing and tripped. He landed on the ground with a sharp exhale. His MA5C landed behind him. He reached. "LEAVE IT!" Maybell ordered. He grabbed Lucas' collar guard and brought him up. Big mistake. By extending her arm, Wilhelmina had made herself a bigger target. A single bullet emerged from a robot sharpshooter's sniper rifle. The heavy-caliber round tore through the sergeant's shoulder, through armor, flesh and bone.

Things happened in slow motion for Tom Lucas. He saw Sergeant Maybell's shoulder get hit, totally unlike Joe. A long spurt of blood emerged from the exit wound. It spattered Maybell's faceplate and the ground around her. She cried in pain. "BILLY!" Lucas screamed. Callard heard the noise and looked. Concern washed across his face that the others couldn't see. "Lucas! Get her in here!"

With bullets impacting the ground and glancing off his armor, Lucas summoned as much strength as he could to raise Billy over his right shoulder and carry her through the doorway. He urged himself no to look at the hole where the round tore through his superior. Not that it was only disrespectful; it was frightening to see the other side…

The squirrel set Maybell down beside a wall. He noticed that his entire arm was drenched in blood. Martinez stood by the Sergeant and injected morphine into her forearm. He also removed her helmet to allow her to take deep breaths. She coughed and pointed behind Callard.

The Sergeant Major took the hint and whipped out his M39 Beretta Combat Pistol. He squeezed four rounds into an incoming robot's face. He took one last look, checked his load and returned to Billy. She was doing better. "Sarge, how you feeling?" Lucas asked cautiously. She looked at him. "You saved my life, Lucas. I would have been shot to death if it wasn't for you." Lucas blushed, and thanked God that his helmet was mirrored. "Who the hell thought of the chaff grenade?" Callard asked. "I did." Martinez said glancing over his shoulder. "Bloody brilliant, man." Jon said approvingly. He saw that the previously disabled troopers jump to the main level. He shot the door controls and the portal snapped shut with a clang that echoed.

"How's she, then?" Callard asked. "Heh, bullet punched right through her arm. That _idiota_ made sure it nearly got her Axillary artery. If that thing got breached, she would be as juiceless as a raisin in two minutes. She'll need a few days in a healing tank to repair the damage. The bone on the other hand can be repaired after spending a few weeks in a splint. "Fuck." Callard cursed. Martinez finished off by spraying her wound up with biofoam and wrapping a bandage around it. "Her left arm is as good as useless. She can still fire a weapon that's one handed like an M7 or an M6." She croaked, "Gimme the SMG. I'll be fine with it.

Martinez reluctantly handed over his Submash and reminded Maybell that she wouldn't be able to reload with one arm and recommended a larger mag. She took his advice with a tubular 180 round clip. "OK, Marines, we're active again. Load up, we move out in five." He turned to Lucas who was clutching a stitch in his side. "How you holding up, kid?" Tom gulped. "I lost my MA5, Sarge." Callard groaned. Tom was a bright kid, but he was very clumsy at times. He unhooked his M39 and handed it to the Mobian along with three clips of ammo. "I want that back when we find a weapon." He said. "Yes sir!" Lucas said saluting

Martinez and Callard walked a bit down the hallway. "This op is seriously fucked up." Joe complained. "Really? I thought it was within our capability." His sergeant quipped. The sarcasm made a slight swishing noise as it passed over Joe's head. "I mean, is this place really _just_ a fortress. There are WAY too many robots for that. They came up to a room and gasped.

They must have been under the mountains because the room was HUGE. Iron forges dripped molten metal into assembly lines. Robots skittered across catwalks to attend to mechanisms. Presses made armor, weapons, and components and somewhere in the distance, a battleship's engines flared up. Callard came to the realization. "This isn't a fortress. It's a factory. "Ah shit." Joe muttered.


	4. Chapter 4: Rigged to Blow

Chapter 4: Rigged to Blow

November 22nd 3238

Planet Vert, _Lamonde_ continent

Under the Mountains

"No wonder all of these materials are coming here. It's being used to create an army, not to mention a navy. It may be why ol' Fat Boy was so protective about it." Martinez said. Billy wagged her arm around in the splint. "It this is true, why did the Doctor jump ship?" "Hell if I know. Maybe he thought we were outnumbered." Lucas nodded. "Well, he got that right."

Callard checked his watch in his HUD. '1745' it read. "OK, Helljumpers. The easy part's over. We're inside the facility. Now, we need to find the bleeding fuel distribution center." Martinez muttered to Lucas, "The one that nobody knows what it looks like." Callard heard the remark but didn't bite back. In truth, he shared Joe's point. What DID this thing look like? Did it have a big label that said 'HI THERE, BLOW ME UP!" taped on it? This job just didn't pay enough. He hoped he could get a promotion and send a whole bunch of other men to do the dirty work. Callard then heard heavy thumps. The entire cavern shook. Then he saw.

Three Berserkers were slowly pounding towards them. Berserkers were larger than your average Eggpawn. At around 15 feet high and armed with twin .50s, they were pretty intimidating. A single red eye glistened in their forehead. After designating the targets, mainly the ODSTs, they fired up their guns. The Sergeant Major ordered his team to hide behind some metal crates. Bullets pinged into the structure. Callard spied some more crates just a bit away from them.

"We can try to confuse them. Lucas, take Billy and hide behind the crates I'm marking. A blue upside-down triangle appeared at the crates. Wait for my orders. Lucas and Wilhelmina took sprinting position. "How are your legs?" Lucas asked. "Better then my arms." She solemnly replied. "GO, GO, GO!" Callard barked. The two sprinted into the open. The Berserkers followed them with a steady stream of lead. But a few rounds to their metal heads took their attention back to Sarge and Martinez.

"Made it!" Lucas said safely behind the crate. "What's the plan, Sarge?" Lucas said breathing quickly. "_OK, Joe and I will distract the Berserkers using a couple of chaff grenades_." "Won't they be expecting that, Sarge?" Maybell asked. "_Hey, if it worked before, it'll work again. Berserkers are real dim blokes. No brains, all brawn. Lucas, once they're out of the way, I need you to climb up to the base of their necks and fire a small rebounding charge into them. It'll bounce around causing havoc until they drop dead._" "_Sir, are you sure Lucas can handle this?_" Joe said with a doubting mood. The Mobian's ears twitched with anger. "_He's the best climber here. I trust he can handle this. But you're on double deck, Martinez, just in case_."

The giant robots thumped closer, their arm-cannons swiveling trying to track targets. "NOW!" Callard screamed. Two cylindrical grenades popped and the air filled with floating aluminum strips. The Berserkers stopped in their racks, unable to acquire targets. Lucas roared as he seized a special clip of ammunition Callard tossed to him. He slapped it into the pistol and leaped onto the first robot's leg. He climbed with the aid of the magnetic boots. Once on the neck, he fired two rounds into the robot's neck. The rounds pinged as they entered the brain. The robot had a slight series of spasms and began to fall. Tom leaped with the skill of an acrobat onto the second. The third tracked his progress and fired the machine guns. Unfortunately, the second Berserker's body absorbed most of the rounds meant for Tom. The dead robot just stood there. The third kept its eye on the carcass. Lucas was hiding behind its head. He was breathing so hard it was fogging up his faceplate.

"Give him some help!" Callard roared to his men. They all fired to make the robot do a double take. This was the opening that Lucas was looking for. He leaped with grace onto the third's head. He quickly unloaded all the rounds into its neck. The joint exploded and the head shot off, taking Lucas with it. The helpless soldier did cartwheels in the air and landed with a hard _thud._ The body crashed five inches beside him.

He was just happy to be alive and felt for his quickly beating heart. It thumped through the combat armor. He unhooked his helmet and smoothed rustled his brown hair. Small drops of sweat fell off his ears, nose and chin. He laughed slightly. Then he saw a hand. "Tom, you OK, kid?" It was Callard. "Yeah, Sarge. I'm fine."

"Jesus Tap-dancing Christ, you OWNED those suckers, Lucas!" Martinez said not unpleasantly. "Thanks Joe." Lucas said panting. "Not bad for a furry." Martinez added. "We better get moving." Callard said finally. "That noise may have attracted attention. We need to find that distribution center NOW." "Sarge, there's hundreds of tunnels. Should we just pick one, then?" Lucas suggested. It made sense. There _were_ hundreds of tunnels. Callard looked around to find a suitable choice. They could be down here for hours, days, maybe even weeks if he was wrong. Then he found a winner. A small squad of movers were taking barrels marked 'Flammable' onto a waiting battleship. Numerous dollies with the same barrels stood at attention near the carge bay. Inside the bay itself were tanks and APCs.

A few unarmed Eggpawns swiveled their heads around to see the soldiers. They saw one make a call on its radio pack and klaxons sounded. The entire assembly/loading area was bathed in red light. Out of the ceiling dropped Egg Hawk VTOLs fully loaded with weaponry. Martinez yelled, "I found a jeep!" And there one was. Oddly enough, it was an M12 LRV Warthog with the turret removed. "Why would Eggman steal one of our jeeps?" Lucas wondered out loud. "Better gas mileage? Get your ass in the jeep, Marine!" Callard barked.

Lucas dropped into the driver seat and pressed the ignition button. The engine rumbled but no joy. He looked at the fuel gauge and saw that the car's H20 level was at 'E' "We have no gas!" He told the ODSTs. "Damn!" Callard cursed. Then, he got an idea. "The canteens! Gimme all the bloody water!" The marines did as they were told. Callard popped the lids and drained two gallons of water into the fuel tank. The diffusion process would separate the hydrogen molecules and burn those. The water would be flushed out the exhaust as vapor.

"Come on, baby! Give me something!" Lucas pleaded. He pressed the button again and the warthog rumbled to life. The headlights sparked and the motion tracker activated. And it currently showed two large blips heading towards them. "GUN IT, FURRY!" Martinez barked. Lucas slammed his boot on the accelerator. The warthog's nancarbon wheels squealed as they spun on the floor. Just as the Egg Hawks opened fire, the stolen jeep was already on the move.

"Can you drive a 'Hog?" Callard asked Tom. "Puh-lease, Sarge. I drove these babies long before I joined the Corps. I was a royal engineer at the palace. Test drives, weapon maintenance, and the whole nine yards." A few bullets to the windshield stopped the conversation. The Egg Hawks were getting bettering their aiming. The gunners sprayed lead in random directions and tiny brass casings pinged to the floor.

Maybell shot a few rounds at the VTOLs with her SMG. She actually hit one gunner. The robot tumbled out of its seat and fell a long way before smashing into a pile of crates. "Watch it, there's a tank." Martinez said pointing up ahead. "I know I see it. The jeep kept rumbling foreword. "The tank is right there just so you know." Martinez said now pointing to the moving vehicle. The robot tank's long barrel was pointed right at the front axel. Callard and Maybell saw what Lucas was planning to do, and said nothing. "THE FUCKING TANK, YOU FURRY!" Lucas roared, "YOU WANNA DRIVE, HUMAN?" Lucas hit a maintenance ramp. The LRV flew into the air and the tank fired. It missed.

The 109mm explosive slug from the tank flew right past the warthog. It was so close that Lucas' fur was made crispy by the heat of the slug. By the time the front wheels touched the ground, the slug had found its true target: one of the Egg Hawks.

The tank round pounded into the fuselage of the unfortunate VTOL blowing off one of the wings. Unable to control itself, the plane twisted in a downward spiral then exploded in a fireball. The squirrel barely had time to smirk at his handiwork before the tank and the surviving VTOL opened up at him.

The Warthog coasted at a nice 70 MPH and easily outran the tank. The Hawk however still wouldn't give up. It had finished fooling around and flew over the marines and settled over a trench. They were trapped. Or so the pilot thought. Martinez quickly primed a grenade and tossed it ahead of the warthog. Callard just had time to say, "Hey, what are you-" before it detonated under the chassis. The Light Recon Vehicle was thrown into a high arc. With the hood facing a 120 degree angle. The gunners of the VTOL tried to tag it, but the car was simply moving too fast. After an eight second airtime, it bounced on the metal with minimal damage. The marines crowed. "Nice work, you jackass." Callard said rapping Joe's helmet. "Look, we're here." Lucas said pulling the E-brake. The marines rushed into the tunnel and sealed the door. They all raised their guns in case of conflict but none came.

Shortly down the hall, there was a window that appeared to be a torture room. It was empty and the team could barely look inside. They expected mutilated bodies with organs strewn all over the room but what they did see was much worse than that. The bodies inside were that of Humans, Mobians and Sangheili. But they were all frozen in place. Each body was covered with a metallic surface. Limbs seemed to be made of paneling, wires and bolts. It was overwhelming.

Lucas looked with remorse at a young Mobian female, a lynx with her palms raised in defense. Her face had a frozen look of terror that would never leave her. "Damn." Matinez said. "What?" Callard said approaching Joe. Then he froze. What he saw appalled him: A small child barely six years old was clutching his mother's arm. The mother stared blankly into space. The soldiers averted their gaze and looked to the Elite warrior. He must've been highly ranked in his society, probably an Ultra since his hand was positioned in a way that there must have been an energy sword in his palm.

Maybell did a quick scan and read the results. "They're roboticized good. They can't move at all." Callard asked, "Can they hear us?" Maybell shook her head, "I don't know. I've never experienced it." "Well then unless we have the goddamned Sword of Acorns tucked in our back pockets we'd better well move on our bloody way! Fall out!" Maybell took one last glance at the child. She took her hand and placed it on his metal chest. Just for one second, she was sure she felt a faint, warm heartbeat. She shivered with fear and quickly exited the room.

"How long have we been walking, Jon?" Wilhelmina asked her CO. "Twenty minutes or so." Callard said checking his watch. "They shouldn't be able to break through that door for a little while longer." Lucas kept on taking quick glances over his shoulder every now and then, his ears twitching towards any sound that wasn't their boots hitting the ground. Apparently, the claustrophobic hallway made him even more cautious even when there were miles of tunnel separating him from the enemy robots.

"Hang on, boys. My PDA is picking up spiked thermals from the room ahead. And based on the sonar readings, this room is pretty big." Callard smiled widely. "Bingo." The heat attacked any part of exposed skin, mainly around the wrists. Lucas was most irritated by this and began to scratch his wrists furiously.

In the room, the fuel distribution device was well over five hundred meters long. Pipes were connected to various spaced points along the metallic cylinder and an omnipresent hum filled whatever air that wasn't occupied by pipes and catwalks. "Whoo!" Lucas said blinking his eyes both in the heat and in awe. "Can you believe that this was under the mountain the whole time? I wonder what type of fuel it pumps. Definitely isn't gas since he fuels starships with it." Tom tapped the device and the pings of his knuckles resonated in the room.

"I don't know but I bet it'll blow up good!" Martinez said pulling out a detpack. The remote C-9 detonator could be triggered with a coded frequency from a safe distance, or could it could activate a two-minute countdown upon Martinez's hypothetical death. "Amen to that, you crazy son of a bitch." Lucas said giving Joe a thumbs-up. "Set the detonator, Martinez. And don't you fucking detonate until we're clear of the blast radius." Lucas lifted his head in curiosity. "How far is that, Sarge?" The Sergeant Major scoffed. "By the looks of things, orbit." The Mobian's eyes grew wide and he tried to badly suppress a smile. "Holy shit!"

Martinez stuck the C-9 charge on the meal and connected the channel to the detonator. He did this all in two minutes. If anyone were judging, Joe Martinez would have broken the UNSC Explosive setup record. A green light appeared on the detonator. "Cake." He said.

Lucas' ears twitched: A sure sign of danger. He twisted on the spot. A few flashes in the darkness. "We've got company, guys!" He exclaimed. He raised the Beretta and activated the laser sight. A red dot appeared on a dark robotic figure. Lucas squeezed the trigger four times and four .450 rounds spun out of the barrel. Before the shells even hit the floor, the robot was dead. Tom then proceeded to his next target and fired twice. The rounds pinged off armor and a single red eye activated. "Oh no…" He said lowering the gun. The other ODSTs raised their assault weapons and fired. The twin BR55s fired by Martinez and Callard decimated the advancing robotic ranks. As the ammo counters steadily dwindled, Jon Callard watched Maybell curse as she released the tubular magazine and insert a new one with only one hand. "Martinez, cover Maybell you dumbshite!" "Right, Sarge." Joe said moving to protect Billy. A stray bullet meant for Joe grazed the detpacks. The devices didn't explode but Martinez expressed grief.

"Oh no, no, NO!" He yelled as he fended an approaching badnick off. "_Pandejo_!" "What is it?" Jon said taking cover and squeezing off random bursts. "Detpack trigger got fried!" "Is that bad, Joe?" "Is it bad?! _Mio Dios_, yes! It's fucking bad! It means the signal won't get transferred!" Callard's eyes darted. "So what happens now?" Martinez's glasses flashed. "I'm gonna have to manually rearm the bomb." This made Billy turn her head." "What?!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry Sarges, I know what I'm doing. I've done plenty of tests on this." "How about an actual field rearming?" Lucas said over shots from the M39. "Fuck you!" He called back. "God help me." Callard said to the heavens above. "Do it. And for Christ's sake, do it FAST." Joe smiled. "You got it Sarge."

"Come on, you want a little of this?" Lucas taunted as bursts from the M39 silenced robots. "Kiss my furry ass, tinnies! Nothin's gonna stop me now!" Then, the slide of the pistol shot back. Lucas glanced as there were no more rounds to fire. He glanced at his belt. That was his last clip. "…Except that." He said. He holstered the empty gun and prayed as he saw an eggpawn run towards him. Suddenly, he saw its head torn apart as bullets sprayed the area. It dropped its gun a mere ten inches from Lucas' boots. "You owe me, Lucas!" Callard crowed. The squirrel picked up the rifle and quickly familiarized itself with it. "It may be Deus ex machina, but it's still a robot piece of shit." He cocked the gun.

"How's it going, Martinez?" Jon checked in. The explosive weapons expert was huddled near the bomb. "I'm working on it, Sarge! Just gotta connect a few more wires!"

Callard looked back and saw a Berserker pushing the eggpawns aside and even trodden over one. The chainguns on its hands began to pick up speed. "NOT GOOD ENOUGH! WORK FASTER!"

Flames of hot gas exploded from the arms of the Berserkers. Bullets peppered the floor as Callard and Maybell jumped out of the way. Joe only lowered his head. Bullets pinged on the device and streams of orange gas hissed out. "Careful, don't breathe that shit in!" The Sergeant Major advised. The others agreed and placed their helmets back on. Lucas fired a long burst from the captured weapon. Apparently the bullets had a good effect on the Berserkers since he was tearing the hell out of the cybernetic titan. He started at the legs. When those were immobile, he took out the head, and the behemoth fell. An unlucky squad of lesser badnicks were crushed by the dead weight.

A light winked on the detonator's signal. "I did it?" Martinez said surprised. "Holy shit, I did it! Guys! I rearmed the charge!" Lucas smiled. "Best. Fucking. Sentence. Ever, man." Martinez held up the detonator. It'll only go off it I press this button. The blast should destroy this facility, though it could also level this mountain as well. I guess natural scenery is the price to pay for galactic peace, you know?" "Fair enough." Callard nodded. "OK, marines. Fall back. We need to get topside and signal for Evac!" He spotted a red button marked 'EMERGENCIES' and hit it. Klaxons turned on and a hatch opened above a catwalk. The computer blared: 'WARNING, THERE HAS BEEN A CLASS-RED EMERGENCY. ALL ORGANIC PERSONNEL ARE TO EVACUATE IMMEDIETLY." A ladder descended from the hatch. "Get your asses up that ladder! GO, GO, GO!"


	5. Chapter 5: Evac

Chapter 5: Evac

November 22nd 3238

Planet _Vert_, _Lamonde_ continent

Fuel Distribution Center

"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE" Callard barked to his men. With the badnicks nipping at their heels, the ODSTs climbed the ladder to the catwalk where the hatch opened. Lucas and Martinez climbed first. Before Billy had her turn, she hesitated. "Wait, Jon! The people, that Sangheili!" "There's nothing we can do for them, Sergeant! Climb!" He protested as the bullets sprayed their position. "Respectfully Jon: fuck you." "Thank you." Callard said with the hint of amusement. "Now climb!"

The marines sealed the hatch when Callard crossed over the threshold. Maybell changed the unlocking code with a spoofer in her PDA. "That'll slow them down." She remarked. The shaft was a long one with maintenance shafts popping up here and there. At the very top was a small rectangle of light. That would be where they would signal the pelican for pickup. Surprisingly no resistance was met. However, they did see several rats scurrying up the ladder; possibly in an attempt the blast which was they sensed was coming.

At the top of the shaft was a plateau. There was a heliport in the center of the flat surface but no evacuation craft present. Instead, there were three large figures standing there with weapons in their arms. Callard recognized the sharp, curved bayonet at the end. "We have Brutes, Marines!" He called out. The pack leader took a few steps towards them. His red armor shined in the yellow sun. "Drop your weapons!" He roared. The barrel of his Brute Shot grenade launcher was pointed right at Callard's chest.

"I said drop your weapons, Human! The Jiralhanae said once more with more bite. His companions raised their weapons too. The squad did as they were told. Martinez dropped a small beeping device that was unseen by the Brutes. The two brutes in the back picked up the Battle Rifles and one was carrying an assault rifle. "I found this one down below, Captain." Lucas said, "Hey, that's _my_ gun!" "_Was_ your gun you little whelp! Now it's mine." The other brutes growled with laughter. "Get on your knees, Human!" he pointed at Callard.

The Australian marine got to his knees and the captain ripped off his helmet and tossed it aside. He brought the blade of his brute shot close to Callard's throat. "A day's rations says I will make this in one cut." He bet. "Wait." Jon said. The Captain relented. "What is it?" "Can I ask you one question?" The pack leader grunted in amusement. "What?" "What's a bunch of apes like you doing work for Eggman is the first place?" to the squad's surprise, the Captain threw his head back and laughed. "That Human? We do not work for humans, not now, not ever! The Covenant is not ready to give up its ways. We serve the prophets and only the Prophets. We say we serve him so he can trust us. When the time is right, we will kill him!" The subordinates roared in approval. "Now stay still! I want to finish this quickly. This may not even hurt!" The blade came up. Callard thought of his life…

"Wait captain!" The brute's blade stopped for the second time. He turned and faced the lesser. "What is it, scum?" "Maybe we should execute that one first." He pointed to Lucas whose eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "M-me…W-why…" The captain raised the anthro off the ground. "Your necks are thinner, plus you're weak." Lucas could smell the blood off the captain's breath and his eyes watered. The Brute mistook it for tears. "I eat little squirrels like you for breakfast. Prepare yourself…"

He made his swipe then blood exploded all over Lucas from various holes. The Captain's diamond shaped pupils rolled into his head and he fell. Lucas grasped his neck and looked up.

A D77H-TCI Pelican dropship was making an approach on the landing pad. The chaingin underneath the nose spat rounds at the brutes one tried to get away but was cut down by the heavy caliber rounds. "_Sorry we're a little late boys. I see we came just in time_." "Get us out of here, this mountain is about to become rubble!" Callard said into his earpiece. "_Hang tight gentlemen, coming about_." The pelican's nacelles tilted and the troop bay door opened. The Helljumpers climbed inside and sat down. The tailgunner squeezed a few shots at the dead brutes as the Pelican started to ascend into the sky. Callard looked at Martinez. "Juice 'em." He said solemnly. Joe's thumb hit the big red button. "Man, I love this part."

The C-9 Charge detonated. The explosion itself was relatively small, but when it ignited the fuel in the device, the flames shot all the way down the tunnel and decimated the assembly lines, the vehicles, and the starships in production. The fuel in the pipes would also have exploded and destroyed similar areas in the factory. From the outside, explosions popped out of the mountain's body and slowly, the mountain of rock fell apart upon itself in showers of rock and molten metal. After ten straight minutes of explosions, the mountain was reduced to a huge pile of rubble with a cloud slowly spreading into the stratosphere. "Damn…" Lucas muttered as the hatch sealed.

The explosion was easily visible from space. The bright flash from the surface was easily visible to the _Midsummer Night_ in high orbit. Not only that, but the ensuing seismic activity and the tsunami generated were hard to ignore. The general Vertian public had also witnessed the explosion and, despite being on high ground, felt the effects of the tsunami.

Three local fishing vessels weighing over two thousand tons were swept to the shoreline of the largest city on the planet, Toulouse. Due to the ships not being far from the beach, nobody died from the wave or the beaching. However, the crews were a bit shaken up and surprised to find the surrounding sand layered with fish.

The Vertian government would dismiss the destruction in the mountains as 'unforeseen tectonic activity'. In truth, this was as good as an explanation as the government scientists got since even the Prime Minister had no idea the mission was taking place either. It was hard to overlook all the minerals that disappeared over the months. So the only good explanation for this was smugglers. Law enforcement looked for the pirates they would never find but, unbeknownst to them, the entire population was saved by a squad of four brave soldiers.

Back on the _Night_, the captain congratulated the squad on the mission. He did state however that due to the mission's secrecy, the team would not receive any medals, or

ribbons, or extended leave on exotic planets. "I tell you what I can do for you though." Captain Gerald said from the debriefing room. "I can have you transferred out of this hellhole of suicide missions."

Callard was amused. "Well with respect, sir. It's kind of what I signed up for in this outfit." He said to general amusement from his teammates. "Regardless. You've had a tough run. You've proven yourself to be the best of the best. I'm seeing to it that you run with the top dogs now." "Surprise me, Captain." Callard said.

"You're familiar with the legendary 182nd Infantry Division?" Captain Gerald said raising an eyebrow. Lucas was all ears. "Lots of Mobians in that Division, sir." He said excitedly. "Who hasn't heard of the 182nd?" Callard said scoffing. "Single handedly ending the war on Tallahan V, storming Robotropolis, New Mombasa, I could go on, sir."

"Well, you're being assigned to one specific unit in that division. Omega Company. Commander's one by the name of Captain Chris James Vennettilli. 24, a knighted soldier, and probably one of the most hardcore son of a bitches I know in that division. Callard was flummoxed but it was Billy that spoke for him: "Sir, with respect, I thought Vennettilli was dead." "So did we. Just popped out of nowhere from off the grid." Martinez spoke. "But the _puto_ isn't even a helljumper! How can we-" "Simply because I can do it and I will." Martinez shut up.

"He's not the only reason you're there. His second has heard of your talents and she gravely sympathizes over the loss of your friends back on Pegassi. She also supports the diversification of our armed forces." He laid a photo of the second on the table. It was none other than Princess of Mobius: Sally Alicia Acorn.

Callard picked up the photograph with one hand. Her stunning blue eyes stared straight at the camera and her red hair seemed to flow. She was quite stunning. "Wow." Callard said mesmerized. "She's hot." Martinez said raising his brows. Lucas stared at the photo of the princess longer than the others. "I knew her."

"Course you knew her you bleeding idiot, she's your princess!" "No I mean I knew her personally. We went to school together. We got pretty close actually. But one month before the Coming of the An- I mean when you guys showed up," he gestured to the humans. "We stopped seeing each other. We weren't boyfriend and girlfriend or anything but we were close."

"Looking to finally score a try. Tommy?" Callard said making a rugby metaphor. "Nah, just tie up loose ends." Captain Gerald nodded. "Well said, Marine. Get some rest gentlemen. We slip to Earth in twenty minutes and we'll arrive in three days. You'll be introduced to the captain as soon as we arrive."

"OK, Helljumpers, Move out!" Callard commanded. "Can't wait to meet that dame." The sergeant said. "I bet she has a great rack." Martinez said laughing. "You're both pigs!" Wilhelmina said as the door closed. Tom stayed staring at the image. "Something wrong, son?" Gerald asked. Lucas wiped an eye. "No, sir. I-I was wondering if I could keep that picture, sir? It's been three years." To his surprise, Gerald smiled. "Go ahead son. I know that feeling well. I felt the same way after leaving my wife for five years when I shipped out. Take it."

Lucas' fingers tightened around the picture of Sally. A strange enthusiasm surrounded him. After staring at those deep blue eyes again, he felt he could go to hell and back. Little did Tommy Lucas realize that may be where his team was headed.

/End Transmission/


	6. Chapter 6: Epilogue

Chapter 6: Epilogue

November 22nd 3238

Space above Vert

The UNSC _Midsummer Night_ coasted silently through space. Her engines casted deep shadows on one of her six moons, Laroche, barely more than a captured asteroid. Once out of the gravity well of Vert, the Shaw Fujikawa Translight engines began their punch into Slipstream Space. A white shimmer filled the void. In this void, there was black. Despite this maw, the _Night_ calmly coasted into it, glow from the running lights, strobes and engines stood out in the darkness where no stars shone. Some crew glanced through sixteen inches of solid Plexiglas at the shining green orb for it would be the most beautiful planet they would see for three days, even if it did have a black scar of smoke in the sky. Once her prow was through the hole, it sealed behind the _Night_. Then, silence.

This is space. All is well.


End file.
